Clinical evaluation of the efficacy and safety of a constant rate infusion of dexmedetomidine for postoperative pain management in dogs

Vet Anaesth Analg. 2009 Jul;36(4):369-83. Epub 2009 May 12. Clinical evaluation of the efficacy and safety of a constant rate infusion of dexmedetomidine for postoperative pain management in dogs. Valtolina C, Robben JH, Uilenreef J, Murrell JC, Aspegrén J, McKusick BC, Hellebrekers LJ. Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. OBJECTIVE: To compare postoperative analgesia provided by a constant rate infusion (CRI) of dexmedetomidine (DMED) to that of a well-established positive control [morphine (MOR)] in critically ill dogs. The sedative, cardiorespiratory effects and clinical safety of a 24-hour DMED CRI were also evaluated. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, randomised, blinded, positive-controlled parallel-group clinical study. ANIMALS: Forty hospitalised, client-owned dogs requiring post-operative pain management after invasive surgery. METHODS: After surgery, a loading dose of either DMED (25 microg m(-2)) or MOR (2500 microg m(-2)) followed by a 24-hour CRI of DMED (25 microg m(-2) hour(-1)) or MOR (2500 microg m(-2) hour(-1)) was administered. Pain was measured using the Short Form of the Glasgow Composite Measure Pain Scale, sedation and physiological variables were scored at regular intervals. Animals considered to be painful received rescue analgesia and were allocated to a post-rescue protocol; animals which were unresponsive to rescue analgesia were removed from the study. Data were analysed with anova, two-sample t-tests or Chi-square tests. Time to intervention was analysed with Kaplan-Meier methodology. RESULTS: Forty dogs were enrolled. Twenty dogs (9 DMED and 11 MOR) did not require rescue analgesia. Eleven DMED and eight MOR dogs were allocated to the post-rescue protocol and seven of these removed from the study. Significant differences in pain scores between groups were not observed during the first 12 hours, however, DMED dogs were less (p = 0.009) painful during the last 12 hours. Sedation score over the entire 24-hour study was not significantly different between groups. CONCLUSION / CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Dexmedetomidine CRI was equally effective as MOR CRI at providing postoperative analgesia and no clinically significant adverse reactions were noted. This study shows the potential of DMED to contribute to a balanced postoperative analgesia regimen in dogs. PMID: 19470144 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE

Clinical evaluation of the efficacy and safety of a constant rate infusion of dexmedetomidine for postoperative pain management in dogs

Vet Anaesth Analg. 2009 Jul;36(4):369-83. Epub 2009 May 12. Clinical evaluation of the efficacy and safety of a constant rate infusion of dexmedetomidine for postoperative pain management in dogs. Valtolina C, Robben JH, Uilenreef J, Murrell JC, Aspegrén J, McKusick BC, Hellebrekers LJ. Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. OBJECTIVE: To compare postoperative analgesia provided by a constant rate infusion (CRI) of dexmedetomidine (DMED) to that of a well-established positive control [morphine (MOR)] in critically ill dogs. The sedative, cardiorespiratory effects and clinical safety of a 24-hour DMED CRI were also evaluated. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, randomised, blinded, positive-controlled parallel-group clinical study. ANIMALS: Forty hospitalised, client-owned dogs requiring post-operative pain management after invasive surgery. METHODS: After surgery, a loading dose of either DMED (25 microg m(-2)) or MOR (2500 microg m(-2)) followed by a 24-hour CRI of DMED (25 microg m(-2) hour(-1)) or MOR (2500 microg m(-2) hour(-1)) was administered. Pain was measured using the Short Form of the Glasgow Composite Measure Pain Scale, sedation and physiological variables were scored at regular intervals. Animals considered to be painful received rescue analgesia and were allocated to a post-rescue protocol; animals which were unresponsive to rescue analgesia were removed from the study. Data were analysed with anova, two-sample t-tests or Chi-square tests. Time to intervention was analysed with Kaplan-Meier methodology. RESULTS: Forty dogs were enrolled. Twenty dogs (9 DMED and 11 MOR) did not require rescue analgesia. Eleven DMED and eight MOR dogs were allocated to the post-rescue protocol and seven of these removed from the study. Significant differences in pain scores between groups were not observed during the first 12 hours, however, DMED dogs were less (p = 0.009) painful during the last 12 hours. Sedation score over the entire 24-hour study was not significantly different between groups. CONCLUSION / CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Dexmedetomidine CRI was equally effective as MOR CRI at providing postoperative analgesia and no clinically significant adverse reactions were noted. This study shows the potential of DMED to contribute to a balanced postoperative analgesia regimen in dogs. PMID: 19470144 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE

Produção, composição e rendimento em queijo do leite de ovelhas Santa Inês tratadas com ocitocina Effects of oxytocin on milk yield and composition of Santa Inês ewes

Objetivou-se avaliar a produção, a composição e o rendimento (na fabricação de queijos) do leite de ovelhas Santa Inês tratadas ou não com ocitocina. Os animais foram mantidos em regime de confinamento e receberam uma dieta com 12% de PB e 65% de NDT. As ovelhas foram distribuídas em dois tratamentos: ordenha manual com injeção endovenosa de três UI de ocitocina e ordenha manual sem injeção de ocitocina (grupo controle). Realizou-se uma ordenha diária, de modo que, até a desmama, as ovelhas permaneceram diariamente com os cordeiros durante 14 horas. Os cordeiros foram desmamados aos 60 dias e as ovelhas continuaram sendo ordenhadas uma vez ao dia até o final da lactação. Foram coletadas amostras de leite para análise dos teores de gordura, de sólidos totais e de sólidos desengordurados. A duração média da lactação foi de 225&plusmn;27,24 e 210&plusmn;38,77 dias para as ovelhas controle e tratadas com ocitocina, respetivamente. Até os 133 dias de lactação, o tratamento com ocitocina (141,63&plusmn;51,52 kg) foi superior ao controle (89,39&plusmn;16,65 kg), entretanto, durante todo o período de lactação, não diferiu (169,64 &plusmn; 71,05) do controle (119,72&plusmn;32,73). As porcentagens de gordura (5,84&plusmn;0,44 e 4,96&plusmn;0,47), sólidos totais (17,40&plusmn;0,42 e 16,18&plusmn;0,57) e sólidos desengordurados (11,57&plusmn;0,15 e 11,22&plusmn;0,25) no leite foram influenciadas pela aplicação de ocitocina. Os resultados revelaram diferença significativa para as ovelhas tratadas com ocitocina, as quais apresentaram maior produtividade e, inclusive, melhor composição química do leite. A aplicação de ocitocina é recomendada para animais não adaptados à rotina de ordenha. O leite das ovelhas Santa Inês apresentou rendimentos de 4,80; 8,29 e 5,99 L/kg para os queijos tipo azeitão, pecorino e roquefort, respectivamente.<br>The objective of this trial was to investigate the effects of oxytocin on milk yield and composition and on cheese yield of Santa Inês sheep receiving a diet containing 12% CP and 65% TDN. Animals were maintained in pens and were assigned to one of the following two treatments: hand milking plus an intravenous injection of 3 IU of oxytocin or hand milking without oxytocin injection (control group). Ewes were milked daily and remained with their lambs for a daily period of 14 hours until weaning; lambs were weaned at 60 days of age and ewes still milked once a day until the end of lactation. Milk samples were collected for analysis of fat, total solids, and solids non-fat. Lactation length averaged 225&plusmn;27.24 and 210&plusmn;38.77 for control and oxytocin-treated ewes, respectively. Ewes receiving oxytocin yielded more milk (141.63&plusmn;51.52 kg) than those on the control group (89.39&plusmn;16.65 kg) until 133 days of lactation; however, total milk yield on the entire lactation did not differ significantly comparing oxyitocin-treated (169.64 &plusmn; 71.05) with control (119.72&plusmn;32.73) animals. Milk contents of fat (5.84&plusmn;0.44 and 4.96&plusmn;0.47), total solids (17.40&plusmn;0.42 and 16.18&plusmn;0.57) and solids non-fat (11.57&plusmn;0.15 and 11.22&plusmn;0.25) differed between both groups of animals, respectively. Results showed improved milk yield and composition on oxytocin-injected ewes; therefore, it is recommended the use of oxytocin to facilitate milk ejection on ewes not adapted to the milking routine. Yields of cheese (L of milk/kg of cheese) averaged 4.80, 8.29 and 5.99 L/kg for azeitão, pecorino, and roquefort cheeses, respectively